Tissue paper moistening

ABSTRACT

A generally vertical planar member below a roll of toilet tissue paper defines a target area backing a sheet of tissue to be moistened. The vertical member carries a retractable arm which swings out to position a source of liquid for moistening having a nozzle opposite the center of the target area at a distance from the tissue comparable to the tissue width for spraying a sheet of tissue substantially uniformly to wet it without disintegrating it, typically with a mixture of propylene glycol and water.

[54] TISSUE PAPER MOISTENING 2,118,212 5/1938 MacLawin 117 104 R 2,778,749 1/1957 Bainbridge, Jr. et al.... 117/104 R X [76] Inventor: John R. Taft, Duxbury, Mass. 22 Filed: June 10, 1971 211 App]. No.: 151,846

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 362,547 5/1887 Sherck et al 118/325 171,093 12/1875 1,529,134 3/1925 2,440,974 5/1948 3,264,188 8/1966 Gresham 134/6 UX FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,261,645 2/1968 Germany 239/274 618,311 2/1949 Great Britain Primary Examiner-Joseph Scovronek Att0rneyCharles I-Iieken [57] ABSTCT A generally vertical planar member below a roll of toilet tissue paper defines a target area backing a sheet of tissue to be moistened. The vertical member carries a retractable arm which swings out to position a source of liquid for moistening having a nozzle opposite the center of the target area at a distance from the tissue comparable to the tissue width for spraying a sheet of tissue substantially uniformly to wet it without disintegrating it, typically with a mixture of propylene glycol and water.

' 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures TISSUE PAPER MOISTENING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to tissue paper moistening and more particularly concerns novel apparatus and techniques for wetting toilet tissue to materially enhance its cleansing ability while negligibly interfering with its strength. The apparatus is compact and relatively easy and inexpensive to fabricate, install and use.

The advantages of having wet cleansing facilities in conjunction with toilet facilities has long been recognized and is exemplified by the bidet. While the bidet functions well, it is costly to manufacture, sell and install. There exist pre-packaged wet towelettes; however, they are relatively expensive, being packaged in a sealed envelope, and require opening the envelope, removing the towelette and unfolding it before using. While there have been suggestions to moisten toilet tissue, as for example in US. Pat. No. 3,083,374, the proposed wetting by dipping in water presents serious problems by weakening tissue strength to make effective cleansing difficult. An the liquid dispenser above a roll disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,495,571 function to drop lotion over only a small tissue area.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide improved tissue moistening apparatus and techniques. I

It is another object of the invention to achieve the preceding object while avoiding one or more of the disadvantages enumerated above.

It is a further object of the invention to provide improved tissue moistening apparatus that is relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, relatively easy to install, occupies a minimum of space, requires no costly connections to external plumbing facilities, is easy and convenient to use and moistens toilet tissue sufficiently to materially enhance its cleaning ability without destroying its strength.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, there is means defining a target area, means for supporting a spray nozzle, means for directing a stream of moistening fluid in a mist over a relatively wide solid angle along a line of direction towards the center of the target area to be occupied by toilet tissue so as to moisten the toilet tissue over a relatively wide area thereof without destroying its wet strength. Preferably, the nozzle orifice is spaced from the center of the target area by a distance of the order of the width of the toilet tissue to be sprayed. Preferably, there is an associated atomizing pump for providing a predetermined measured amount of liquid upon each actuation, this amount being just sufficient to moisten the tissue without disintegrating it. Preferably, the liquid comprises propylene glycol mixed with water typically there being as much propylene glycol as remaining constituents of the mixture with a range of i 10 per cent to provide a goodcombination for wetting and atomization. As much as l-l5 per cent of the remaining mixture may comprise other constituents to provide color, pleasant odor, and antiseptic characteristics. Typically these constituents may comprise zinc chloride, zinc peroxide,phenol, menthol, alcohol, cinnamaldehyde, sodium borate, thymol and clove oil.

Numerous other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the wall fixture shown in FIG. 1 without the liquid source and with the support arm swung into the plane of the fixture;

FIG. 3 is a view through section 3-3 of FIG. 2 and further illustrating in broken outline the supported liquid source and pump; and

FIG. 4 is a view through section 4-4 of FIG. 2 to illustrate details of the swing-out arm and source support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference now to the drawing and more particularly FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention taking the form of a wall fixture having a vertical planar member lll fastened to the wall beneath the toilet tissue roll 12 and carrying a swing-out arm 13 that supports a source 14 of a liquid to be atomized from nozzle 15 aimed at the center 16 of the tissue sheet 17 in the target area defined by the vertical member ll. Arm 13 may be swung to the side when not in use. When in use, it extends essentially perpendicular to planar member 11 with nozzle 15 facing center 16 so that actuation of the pump plunger 21 produces a relatively wide angle mist beam that moistens a large area of sheet 17 with a measured amount of liquid without disintegrating the sheet.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a planar view of the wall fixture. Member 11 is formed with horizontal slots 22 to facilitate convenient attachment to the wall below a roll of tissue paper by screws or other suitable fasteningmeans. The four corners 23, 24, 25 and 26 define a target area with center 16 in which a sheet of tissue to be moistened is positioned in the target area defined by corners 23-26. Swing-out arm I3 is pivotally attached to the bottom of vertical member ll by means including support element 27. Swing-out arm 13 also carries a vertical brace 31 and a pump support platform 32 to which the pump is secured by means, such as a spring 33, hooked at both ends and fastened in openings 34 in vertical brace 31 as best seen in FIG.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 3, there is shown a view through section 3-3 of FIG. 2 with liquid source 14 illustrated in broken outline so as not to ob scure other details. FIG. 3 illustrates how vertical member 11 is formed by a long thin plate 11a carrying side slats such as 11b and a member He defining a channel for receiving liquid drippings after spraying that evaporate.

Member 27 is fastened to thin plate 11a by means including screws such as 34 and spacer 35 and carries arm 13 for pivotal movement about a vertical axis of pin 37'.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a view through 7 section 44 of FIG. 2. Swing-out arm 13 carries support platform 32 divided into a lower portion 32a and an upper portion 32b. Lower portion 32a is supported in fixed relationship to arm 13 while upper portion 32b is secured to lower portion 32a by means of screws 36 passing through slots 37 in upper plate 32b to permit adjustment of the separation between flanges 41 and 42 to accommodate liquid sources of different sizes. Flange 42 carries prongs 43 for firmly securing the supported liquid source.

Having described the structural arrangement of the invention, properties of a preferred form of liquid will be described. A typical toilet tissue is characterized by softness and high moisture absorbing capacity, characteristics usually accompanied by poor wet strength. The preferred liquid functions as'a wetting agent for cleaning parts of the body without wetting the toilet tissue to such an extent as to disintegrate it. A satisfactory liquid comprises a mixture of propylene glycol and other elements predominantly water in a ratio of approximately 111 by volume. The range of propylene glycol may depart from this ratio by the order of :10 per cent. The liquid may include making up 10 to 15 per cent of the other half of the solution to provide color, a pleasant odor, and antiseptic characteristics. Acceptable additional constituents include zinc chloride, zinc peroxide, phenol, menthol, alcohol, cinnamaldehyde, sodium borate, thymol and clove oil. The following mixture is an example of a preferred solution:

50 cc Propylene glycol 40 cc Water 10 cc 5 percent alcohol I gm. Zinc chloride 0.05 cc Clove oil 0.05 cc Cinnamaldehyde 0.05 cc F.D.&C Vegetable coloring The basic mixture, without supplementary benefits is 50 percent by volume propylene glycol and 50 percent by volume water, ilO percent.

A feature of the invention is the manner of application of the solution to the tissue. To minimize the reduction in paper strength while delivering adequate wetting agent to the tissue for effective cleaning, the invention dispenses solution relatively evenly and uniformly upon the surface of the paper. It has been dis covered that this can best be accomplished by positioning an atomizing nozzle approximately centimeters from the square of tissue to be moistened. lt is desirable that the selected square be unrolled so as to hang flat against a backing surface while applying a metered amount of solution in a single burst, typically a milliliter. If one tissue is inadequate for complete cleansing, it is preferred that the entire application procedure be repeated because spraying the second milliliter of solution on the same square may well exceed its capacity to absorb, causing runoff of excess, weakening the paper, or both. It is preferred that a good quality two-ply paper be used. Preferably, the apparatus expels the solution under pressure to insure adequate atomization. This can be accomplished by expelling of the solution under pressure through an atomizing nozzle by means such as a force pump that may be generally of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,202 by other suitable atomizers, or by conventional aerosol cans.

According to a preferred method of the invention, the solution on the moistened tissue is transferred to the area to be cleaned by direct and gentle application of the moistened side followed by wiping with unmoistened paper. These steps may be repeated if necessary.

A feature of the apparatus according to the invention is that unwanted wetting or staining of the wall is prevented because the stream is always directed toward the target area.

While the invention is shown with the container stored to the right when not in use, it may be arranged for storage to the right or left at the time of installation by appropriately positioning element 27 so that it opens to the left when it is desired that storage be to the left. It is preferred that it actually be stopped when perpendicular to the target area to insure proper positioning for moistening.

By positioning the solution container in support 32 properly adjusted with spring 33 holding the container in place, removal is easy for facilitating replacement or refilling.

There has been described novel apparatus and techniques for tissue moistening that facilitates cleaning with ordinary toilet tissue without destroying its strength in a manner that is easy to use, easy to install, occupies relatively little space, and is relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture. It is evident that those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses and modifications of and departures from the specific embodiments described herein without departing from the inventive concepts.

Consequently, the invention is to be construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel combination of features present in or possessed by the apparatus and techniques herein disclosed and limited solely by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Tissue moistening apparatus comprising,

planar means adapted for being located below a roll of toilet tissue defining a target area, a source of wetting solution, nozzle means for directing an atomized stream of said solution toward the center of said target area,

means for supporting said nozzle means at a distance from said target area comparable to the width of said roll of toilet tissue for coaction with said nozzle means to spray most of said target area with a substantially uniform layer of said solution with the area sprayed confined to being embraced substantially by said planar means,

and means for expelling a predetermined measured amount of said wetting solution through said nozzle means upon said target area for wetting a tissue in said target area without disintegrating the tissue thus wet.

2. Tissue moistening apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for supporting includes a swing-out arm for selectively positioning said nozzle means in a position of nonuse substantially beside said planar means and in a position of use substantially perpendicular to said planar means.

3. A method of tissue moistening with tissue moistening apparatus comprising planar means adapted for being located below a roll of toilet tissue and defining a target area, a source of a wetting solution, nozzle means for directing an atomized stream of said solution toward the center of said target area, and means for supporting said nozzle means at a distance from said target area comparable to the width of said roll of toilet tissue for coaction with said nozzle means to spray most of said target area with a substantially uniform layer of said solution with the area sprayed confined to being embraced substantially by said planar means, which method includes the steps of directing an atomized said solution.

5. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 4 wherein said solution comprises chemicals for producing antiseptic characteristics.

6. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 5 wherein said chemicals are from the group consisting of zinc chloride, zinc peroxide, phenol, alcohol, sodium borate, thymol and clove oil and represent less than per cent of said solution.

7. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 4 wherein said solution consists of a mixture of the following substances in the following proportions:

50 cc Propylene glycol 40 cc Water 10 cc 5 percent alcohol 10 gm. Zinc chloride 0.05 cc Clove Oil 0.05 cc Cinnamaldehyde 0.55 cc F.C.&C Vegetable coloring 8. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 3 wherein said measured amount is substantially one milliliter.

9. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 3 and further including the steps of wiping said areas with said tissue thus wet and thereafter wiping said areas with a dry tissue.

10. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 3 and further including the step of wiping said areas with said tissue thus wet. 

2. Tissue moistening apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for supporting includes a swing-out arm for selectively positioning said nozzle means in a position of nonuse substantially beside said planar means and in a position of use substantially perpendicular to said planar means.
 3. A method of tissue moistening with tissue moistening apparatus comprising planar means adapted for being located below a roll of toilet tissue and defining a target area, a source of a wetting solution, nozzle means for directing an atomized stream of said solution toward the center of said target area, and means for supporting said nozzle means at a distance from said target area comparable to the width of said roll of toilet tissue for coaction with said nozzle means to spray most of said target area with a substantially uniform layer of said solution with the area sprayed confined to being embraced substantially by said planar means, which method includes the steps of directing an atomized conical stream of said wetting solution upon a tissue in said target area for a time interval long enough to wet more than half the tissue area and short enough so that said tissue retains sufficient strength for wiping areas of a human to be cleaned without disintegrating.
 4. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 3 wherein said solution comprises a mixture including propylene glycol and water with said propylene glycol being substantially 50 + or - 10 percent by volume of said solution.
 5. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 4 wherein said solution comprises chemicals for producing antiseptic characteristics.
 6. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 5 wherein said chemicals are from the group consisting of zinc chloride, zinc peroxide, phenol, alcohol, sodium borate, thymol and clove oil and represent less than 15 per cent of said solution.
 7. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 4 wherein said solution consists of a mixture of the following substances in the following proportions: 50 cc Propylene glycol 40 cc Water 10 cc 5 percent alcohol 10 gm. Zinc chloride 0.05 cc Clove Oil 0.05 cc Cinnamaldehyde 0.55 cc F.C.&C Vegetable coloring
 8. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 3 wherein said measured amount is Substantially one milliliter.
 9. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 3 and further including the steps of wiping said areas with said tissue thus wet and thereafter wiping said areas with a dry tissue.
 10. A method of tissue moistening in accordance with claim 3 and further including the step of wiping said areas with said tissue thus wet. 